ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · tear · hand · nail · pitcher · dip · safe · last

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — to go on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. last — final
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. last — finally
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com